December 2009

This article is in the news archives --- for current news go to the Third Branch News.

House Holds Hearing on Judicial Recusal

Responding to Congressional queries on the state of federal judicial recusal, a representative of the Judicial Conference this month told a congressional subcommittee that both judges and the public have a broad array of tools and a transparent environment to ensure the fair and impartial adjudication of cases. Judge M. Margaret McKeown, chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Codes of Conduct, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy. In addition to discussing the strong framework established by the federal Judiciary, McKeown provided an overview of the recusal standards applying to federal judges and explained the role that the Codes of Conduct Committee plays in advising judges in ethics issues, including recusal.